Portal for Know India Program for Diaspora kids |
Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said the Modi government has expanded the outreach to global Indian Diaspora youth by launching a portal to scale up the successful Know India Programme (KIP). The program is an initiative by the ministry for the Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) between the age group of 18 to 30 years. The aim of the KIP is to help PIO youths familiarise with their roots and contemporary India. Launched in 2004, the scheme has 40 editions under which 1,293 PIO youths have visited India. In 2016, the scheme was revamped to increase its duration from 21 to 25 days, with a 10-day visit to one or two states and preference given to PIOs from Girmitiya countries. From 2016, six KIPs a year are being organised. Vani Roa, joint-secretary (Overseas Indian Affairs) said through the portal, the interested participants can directly apply for the programme. Referring to Girmitiya countries, Swaraj said the Britishers took several Indians to their colonies, primarily in Africa and the Caribbean by signing an agreement. However, in colloquial parlance, agreement became `grimit` as they could not pronounce the word agreement. The countries where these Indians were taken under the `pretext of giving a good job` by signing such agreements became `Girmitiya` countries.
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